The Magic of Smoothies - great Tips from Fitness Coach René

Ever tried to prepare a tasty and healthy smoothie at home rather than buying it in a supermarket? With a careful selection of ingredients, these power drinks can help you to feel better – no matter what your goals are. There is a smoothie for almost everything. For those who follow my blog regularly, you may remember René Hebold who I regard as one of Germany`s best personal trainers (see my interview with him about fitness here) – not only because this guy is super fit but also because he analyzes your fitness level and your whole lifestyle as well – and that includes food, of course. Over the next few months, René will provide his very personal smoothie tips and recipes on my blog over the next months - watch out for the posts!

Photo: René during an outdoor personal training

All about Smoothies - and some Travel Impressions from Namibia!

We just had a little chat over coffee:

KHL – René, you are just back from a wonderful trip to Namibia, tell me more about it before we talk about smoothies.

RH: Hey Karl-Heinz, thank you for bringing me again to a great coffee place. You really know the best spots in town :-)!!!

Yes you name it, My trip to Namibia was totally inspiring!: Incredible landscapes and animals, beautiful people, unforgettable sunrises and sunsets every day, perfect relaxation and a lot of long-lasting moments that made me happy! I went for a basic 12 days camping safari. It was a guided tour with 24 people from all over the globe: ou fellow travelers came from South Corea, Australia and the US, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland and many more. With a big safari truck where 26 people (including 2 tour guides), tents and all the equipment found a place, we started in Cape Town, South Africa to the North of Namibia, Etosha National Park. We slept in tents in the middle of the desert. Namibia is three times bigger than Germany and has only 2.5 million inhabitants. The Namib Desert is amazing, particularly the Sossusvlei pan which is surrounded by high red dunes, located in the Southern part of the Namib Desert, in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. It is definitely a "must see" when you go there. I will for sure never forget that trip and I am so grateful that I could make this experience !!!

Photo: Keep your balance – even in Namibia!

Photo: The stunning sand dunes in Namibia

KHL: Wow! Sounds awesome. I will put Namibia on my bucket list for sure. – Let`s talk about smoothies – what makes them so powerful?

RH: That is a difficult question, Karl-Heinz! I will try to answer it as easy as possible: I think the reason why people love smoothies so much is first of all because they really taste great. The variety of possible receipts is endless, and everybody can create his own favorite receipt. It is always really exciting for me to see and try other people's receipts, that I would never have tried in my life. The magic of smoothies is that it is quick and very healthy the same time. Usually "FAST food" - food that doesn't take a long time - is not really healthy stuff and doesn't give us the energy that our bodies really need. In my opinion, what we really need in our nutrition are vegetables, fruits and a lot of water. Smoothies are a perfect possibility to take care of it.

Key Ingredients for your Smoothies - Proteins!

KHL: What are the effects of smoothies on our body? Can I gain muscles, lose weight and what else?

RH: I as a Personal Fitness Coach need a lot of energy during the day. My clients are very demanding and I am always 100% focused during the training sessions. I intend to give my clients the motivation and concentration they need to finally reach their goals. Therefor smoothies are very good and healthy meals between my training sessions. Since you can really mix "everything" I ensure that I always have enough proteins (VERY important), vitamins, "good fats" and enough liquid (e.g. legumes, spinach, avocado, vegan protein powder, a lot of different fruits etc.). I only use coconut milk, oats milk and rice milk for my smoothies. One of the rules I tell my clients: lowER carb - HighER protein!!!

KHL: How often do you prepare your smoothies at home?

RH: Especially between November and March, where we do not have so much sun here in Germany and where the temperatures get lower, I prepare smoothies once a day as an additional breakfast. Many people get ill because of to less movement and bad nutrition habits. Since my business as a self-employed Coach depends on me, I always try to keep my immune system in balance. In the morning I advise to focus on fruits, in the evening on vegetables!

KHL: I assume you mostly use organic ingredients, right?

RH: Definitely YES! I always try to go natural, Karl-Heinz! Also, superfoods are a great option to add - they can really pimp up your smoothie experience!

You know, some people are surprised when I tell them that I am always very surprised when I drive to a beautiful house and I meet the overweight and proud owner who really worked hard for it. In my opinion, the only real home is NOT our flat/house, our city or our country - BUT OUR BODY! Our body is the only place, where we, our soul and our mind will live forever - it is the only place where you can never move out. In my opinion, it is the most important physical object you should really care about! The positive thing about the owner I mentioned is: I know that he is able to work hard for something that he believes in. So then I see my work to convince him of that. Usually, after a short time, they understand it and get a totally different perspective about exercising and nutrition - about their bodies.

Photo: Checking out walnuts and lemon

KHL: So let`s buy a few things to prepare a delicious drink. We will soon have recipes and tips for our readers, so stay tuned!